A woman who testified at R. Kelly’s sex abuse trial on Friday claimed she reached a $200,000 settlement with the R&B singer after she contracted herpes.
The woman, who identified herself as Kate, took to the stand to testify against the world-famous R&B singer at his sex abuse trial in Brooklyn on Friday.
Kelly, 54, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, has been on trial since Aug. 18 for running an alleged decade-long racketeering scheme targeting women and girls for sex, with help from employees and assistants. He has pleaded not guilty.
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Kate claimed she was 27 when she met Kelly in 2001 and contracted herpes from him after they slept together. She told the court Kelly was tight-lipped when she later accused him of giving her the sexually transmitted disease.
Kate said she settled with the singer in 2004, and that the herpes diagnosis ‘greatly affected her ability to enter future relationships.
Kelly´s personal physician has also testified, saying he treated the star for herpes for several years.
Kelly’s lawyer Deveraux Cannick used his cross-examination to undercut earlier testimony that Kelly demanded that his girlfriends follow strict rules.
These rules have included needing Kelly’s permission to go to the bathroom, looking away from other men, and not talking about Kelly in his absence, several witnesses have testified.
Kate told Cannick that Kelly behaved differently around her, letting her go to the bathroom when she wanted and not making her wait around for him for long periods. She also said she helped him write down song lyrics.
Kelly was charged in a nine-count indictment describing his alleged mistreatment of six women and girls, including the late singer Aaliyah.
Kate is not one of those women and girls, but is among other Kelly accusers testifying for prosecutors.
Kelly has repeatedly denied accusations that he preyed on victims during a 30-year career. His lawyers have portrayed his accusers as groupies who are lying about their relationships with him.
The trial has so far featured a steady stream of accusers claiming Kelly began sexually degrading them when they were still in their teens. They said he used his stardom to lure them into an insular world where he watched their every move and doled out perverse punishments, spanking them and isolating them in hotel rooms if they broke a vow to never speak about him to anyone else.
Kelly´s personal physician has also testified, saying he treated him for herpes for several years.
Many of the sex-related misconduct allegations were discussed in the 2019 Lifetime documentary ‘Surviving R. Kelly.’
On Monday, Kelly’s first male accuser testified that he offered him help with his music career in exchange for sexual favors.
The man, testifying under the pseudonym Louis, said he was 17 when Kelly first started making sexual advances at him.
Kelly faces between 10 years and life in prison if convicted on all counts.